@UNCBearsSoccer Sink Vikings, Clinch Playoff Berth

Sunday, October 22

Portland, Ore.

2:00 pm

University of Northern Colorado

11-6-1, 5-3-1BSC

Portland State University

8-9-0, 5-4-0BSC

Northern Colorado

Portland State

10/22/2017 3:09:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Mariel Gutierrez Leads the Bears Offense With Two Goals

By: By: Charlie Snelson

HILLSBORO, Ore. -Mariel Gutierrez scored two goals in the first four minutes of the game and the Northern Colorado women's soccer went on to defeat Portland State 2-0 Sunday afternoon. The win clinched a Big Sky Conference Tournament playoff spot for the fifth straight season for the Bears.

How It Happened: The Bears wasted no time grabbing the lead in the game. In the second minute, Brooke Braden had space up the left side of the field and feathered a through pass about ten feet, finding Gutierrez just outside of the box who fired a shot for the game's first goal.

Just two minutes later the Bears earned a throw in on the right side offensive half of the field. Maddie Barkow made a front-flip throw across the field and Gutierrez controlled it through traffic and was able get the shot past Portland State goalkeeper Abbie Faingold to put the Bears up 2-0 in the fourth minute.

In the latter part of the first half, Taylor Bray had a pair of scoring chances inside the box on the left side of the field. Her shot in the 35^th minute did not have a great deal of pace and bounced toward the far post, missing the goal by less than a foot to the right. Three minutes later Bray had space but fired her shot two feet high of the goal and the game remained 2-0 heading into halftime.

Mariel Gutierrez accumulated three fouls in the first fifteen minutes of the second half and was issued to a red card, but the Bears continued to play strong defense. A hand ball was called in the 78^th minute, giving Brooke Braden a chance to score on the free kick from 20 yards out, but her shot missed two feet left of the near post.

Portland State attempted thirteen shots on goal in the game and goalkeeper Madeline Burdick made six saves to earn her eighth shutout, a school record. Katie Forsee came into the game, leading the Vikings with nine goals and twenty-one points. She led Portland State with five shots attempted, four on goal against Northern Colorado but Burdick was up to the task, keeping Forsee off the scoresheet. No player for either team (excluding the goalkeeper) played the full ninety minutes.

Post-game Comments: "I was really pleased with how we came out in an important game for us," said head coach Tim Barrera. "We put the pressure on Portland State right away and got the two early goals. After that it was a pretty back and forth game. There was some harder play and Mariel got the red card which made things more difficult for us but I thought we did a nice job defending them, especially in the second half and our entire back line played well."

What's Next: Northern Colorado (11-6-1, 5-3-1 Big Sky) finishes the regular season on October 27^th at 12:00pm against North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D. Last season the Bears fell to Northern Arizona 2-1 in the first round of the conference tournament. Portland State (8-9-0, 5-4-0 Big Sky) travels to Montana on October 27^th for their final match of the regular season.